Enough. Say something. Before you embarrass yourself.
To her relief panic mobilised her vocal cords and she burst into speech. ‘I was wondering—where are we staying?’
‘The travel agent managed to find us a chalet; there weren’t many options but she assured me that it would be perfect. And I’ve organised an itinerary.’
For a second his voice sounded almost gruff...even vulnerable...and she thought there was a hint of colour on the strong angles of his face.
‘What sort of an itinerary?’
‘The kind that will give us an idea of what other resorts offer.’ Now his tone had segued to brusque—she was an idiot. What had she thought? That he’d picked things out for her?
‘Great.’
The chalet was presumably part of a resort—which would be good. There would be hustle and bustle and other people, and they would be kept so busy with work that the two days would pass by in a flash.
‘Sure is.’ Ethan nodded a touch too enthusiastically. ‘I’ve got the address, so once we land we’ll pick up the hire car, put the location into the satnav and be on our way.’
* * *
This had to be a joke right? Ethan stared through the windscreen of the four-by-four that had negotiated the curving mountain roads and treacherous hairpin bends to bring them to the chalet that the satnav had announced was their destination. He’d swear the robotic voice had a gloat to it.
He was going to track down that travel agent and have serious words. She had described the chalet as ‘just the place’ and left Ethan with the impression that it was part of a busy resort, awash with people and activities. Though maybe he’d been so distracted by Ruby, so caught up in the mad impulse of the moment, that he’d heard what he’d wanted to hear.
Because it turned out that the chalet was a higgledy-piggledy structure nestled in the fold of a valley and it looked like it had come straight out of a fairy tale. Set in a circular grove of snow-heaped birches, the property was made completely of wood. It practically glowed. Quaint wooden shutters boxed in the windows and there wasn’t another person in sight.
It looked as if it had descended from the clouds especially for Christmas. It was a surprise that it wasn’t wrapped up in festive paper with a bow on top.
Ethan resisted the urge to thunk his forehead on the chunky steering wheel. Instead he glanced across at Ruby, who had fallen asleep on the motorway and slept like the proverbial infant for the entire drive. Perhaps if he started the car he could drive them to the nearest hotel and blag them two rooms. Or he could phone the travel agent and...
Too late.
Next to him Ruby stretched sleepily and opened her eyes; her sleep-creased face looked adorably kissable.
‘Can’t believe I fell asleep.’ Her blue eyes widened as she took in the scene. ‘Oh, my goodness me! We get to stay here?’
‘Looks like it.’
‘It’s as if we’ve been beamed into a fairy tale. Or a Christmas card.’
Or a nightmare.
‘It’s magical. I reckon it may even be made of gingerbread.’
‘Which wouldn’t exactly be very useful, would it?’
Chill, Ethan. Snapping wouldn’t change the setting.
‘Plus, I don’t much want to be trapped in a cage by a wicked witch and fattened up. In fact maybe we should go and find somewhere else to stay.’
Her gurgle of laughter indicated that she’d missed the fact he’d meant it as a genuine suggestion. ‘I didn’t have you down as a fairy tale expert.’
‘I’m not.’
For a second he remembered Tanya reading to him, his laughter at the funny voices she’d used for the different characters.
‘You should go on stage,’ he’d told her, and she’d shaken her head.
‘I’d be too shy, Thanny,’ she’d said in her soft voice. ‘But I love reading to you.’
He pushed the memory away and glared at the chalet. ‘I’m serious. Wouldn’t you rather stay somewhere busier? Less isolated? Less over-the-top?’
‘I...’ She gave her head a small shake. ‘Sorry, Ethan, I must still be half asleep. It just looks perfect for Christmas, but I guess it’s not a good idea to stay somewhere so...’ She trailed off.
So romantic, so small, so intimate.
Conversely the words challenged him—was he really saying that he was incapable of being in a romantic fairy tale chalet with Ruby? Talk about an overreaction. In truth the cutesy atmosphere should serve as a reminder that romance was anathema to him. Plus he could see from her expression that she had fallen for the place.
After the amount of work she’d put in these past weeks she deserved the chance to stay where she wanted to. With all she had been through in life she deserved a Christmas with some magic in it just as much as those teenagers had. Ethan might not believe in the magic of Christmas but Ruby Hampton did, and he would be a real-life Grinch if he denied her this.
‘Why don’t we go in and have a look round? Then decide what to do. The agent said the key would be outside, under a pot.’
Minutes later they crossed the threshold and irritation touched his brow as he realised he was holding his breath. What did he expect? A wolf dressed up as a grandma to jump out at them?
Instead he saw an open-plan area that brought the words cosy, intimate and snug to mind. Timber walls were decked with bright, vivid textiles and prints, there was a purple two-seater sofa, a fireplace piled with freshly chopped logs, a circular rustic pine table. Bright light flooded through the floor-to-ceiling window that looked out onto the crisp snow-covered garden. One corner of the room showcased an abundant Christmas tree decorated with beautifully crafted wooden decorations interspersed with red baubles.
‘This is...dreamy...’ Ruby said as she headed over to the table. ‘Hey! Look! It’s a hamper. Christmas coffee... Gingerbread... Nougat... Champagne...’ Picking up a card, she twirled to face him. ‘The larder and fridge are stocked with supplies as well.’
Okay, Ruby loved it, and for one disorientating second the look of wonder on her face made Ethan want to give her whatever she wanted.
A sudden sense that he was losing control sent an unfamiliar swirl of panic through his gut, caused him to strive for practicality. One swift glance took in the kitchen area, tiled and warm with pine and pottery, and another door through which he glimpsed a washing machine and a shower room. Which left...
‘Oh!’ Ruby gasped. ‘Look! The ladder must lead up to the next storey. It’s like a scene from Heidi.’
If there was a hayloft up there he would definitely sue the travel agent.
Ruby headed towards the ladder and started to climb, her long dark ponytail swinging a jaunty rhythm, her pert denim-clad bottom snagging his gaze.
Jeez. Get a grip, Ethan. They were in enough trouble.
* * *
Ruby stepped forward from the ladder-top and gazed around the cosy confines of the bedroom. The view from the window pulled her across the floor. Mountains sculpted the horizon, almost impossible in their precipitous snow-crested magnificence. A miracle of nature, of strata and formations that had resulted in a strength and enormity that dazzled—added to the swirl of emotions that pulsed through her. It was as if the chalet had indeed exerted some kind of Christmas spell over her.
Made her forget that this was a business trip, that any glimmer of attraction between them was impossible. Instead all